Electromagnetic means for transporting non-magnetic materials.



'No. 854.153. PATENTED MAY 21. 1907.

E. 1. nouns.

ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING NON-MAGNETIC MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1906.

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD MAY 21, 1907.

E. I. DODDS. ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING NON-MAGNETIC MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1906. I

3 SHEBTSSHEBT 2.

PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

E. I. DODDSa ELEGTROMAGNETIG MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING NON-MAGNETIG MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED APILZ'T, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ETI-IAN I. DODDS, OF PULLMAN, ILLINOIS. ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING NON-MAGNETIC MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented may 21, 1907.

Application filed April 27,1906. Serial No. 314,111-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETHAN I. DODDS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pull-- man, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electromagnetlc Means for Transporting N oil-Magnetic Materials, of

- which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to an electro-magnetic mechanism for handhn or transporting non-magnetic material or bodies and it is "especially directed to improvements in means for conveying glass, .either in sheets or in crates or cases, provided the latter are not too thick.

The customary method of handling large sheets or plates of glass is quite crude and the percentage of breakage is too high. Fur

' thermore, before glass can be transported by the usual method, it has to 'be allowed to become substantially cold, and the present method of handling the glass when it has cooled is to raise the sheet up at one end,

work wedges in underneath, eventually place straps beneath the sheet, and with great difiiculty the glass is tilted on edge. Then if the sheet is about by 20 feet, it requires fifteen to twenty men to carry the same from one end of the building to the other. About eight to ten men are-neededon each side of the sheet and it is absolutely necessary for them to keep step while transporting the sheet of glass. For this purpose, the men frequently whistle or sing to enable them to .position to another.

To overcome these obstacles and reduce thebreakage to a minimum, I have invented an electro-ma etic means for handling glass in a horizonta vertical, or in any other position. The additional advantage of bein able to carry the glass while hot, thereby e -fecting a saving in time, is also secured by my invention.

Iamaware that electro-magnets have been used in connection with cranes for manipulating magnetic materials but I believe that I am the first person to use an electro-magnet for handling glass or similar non-magnetic bodies.

Beneath the glass or other material, I place a sheet or one or more pieces of magnetic material, and above the glass I provide one or more magnets, preferably electro-magnets, manipulated and controlled by a crane, derrick, hoist or the like. The pull on or attraction for the metal beneath the glass constituting the armature or armatures by the magnets causes the armature to support the lass, thereby permitting it to be transported y the crane. I prefer to use a plurality of adjustable magnets for this purpose and, by rendering'the magnetism sufficiently strong, boxes or crates of glass or si1nilar"nonmagnetic material may be conveyed safely and expeditiously from one place to another.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the details of my invention and in the various figures like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a spider equipped with a number of electro-magnets, the device being suitable for e in transporting sheets of plate glass; Fig 2 is a section of three of the magnets shown in Fig. 1 and illustrates the internal construction of the same; Fig. 3 shows a modified form of multiple eleetromagnet in which the magnets are adjustable longitudinally of the spider arms; Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a sheet of glass resting upon a bed of sand in which are embedded a number of jacks; Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing a sheet of glass resting on a bed of sand containing metal strips; and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit connections between the generator and the plurality of magnets.

Referring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that I have provided a spider 10 having a number of outwardly extended arms to the ends of which are attached the electro-magncts 1.1. At the center of the top of the spider, there is provided an eye or loop 12 to afford connection for the hook or chain of a crane, derrick or the like. The spider also has rings or eyes 13 at the o posite ends of the central transverse arm 0 the-spider so that the magnet'and its supported parts may be carried on edge. 1

As is illustrated in Fig. 2 ,itwill be seen that each magnet'll consists of an outer marglass is being ground down or polished. Be'

ginal circular rim l4 and a central core 15, the spool or coil of Wire 16 of the magnet be ing interposed between the rim and core, as shown. 0n its top each magnet has two upstanding perforated lugs 17, between which extends an arm 18 projecting from the spider arm, the arm 18 being slotted as at 19 to accommodate a in or bolt-2O which passes therethrough and also through the perforations of lugs 17. this form of connection allows the magnet to have more or less lay to compensate for inequalities or irregularities on the surface of the glass 21. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the sheet of glass is resting upon a layer of plaster of paris 22, which acts as its bed, while the neath the strata of plaster of paris is a metal'lic plate 23, adapted to act as a common armature for all of the magnets 11.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but differs therefrom in that the magnets 24 are adjustable longitudinally of the spider arms 25. Each of these arms is T-shape in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, and each of the magnets has a pair of upwardly extended bent arms 26, which are adapted to clas the spider arm above its oppositely exten ed flanges. Each arm 25 has a number of apertures 27 through its web and a bolt 28 may be passed through a hole in the bent arms 26 and the spider arm 25., whereby each magnet may be placed in a number of adjusted positions, depending upon the size of the'sheet of glass to be acted upon.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated .the metal armature 29 as being directly below the sheet of glass 30, but it will be readily understood that the operation of this electro-magnetic conveyer or crane is the same in all .of..t-l-ie modifications illustrated.

I have shown in Fig. 5 a late of glass 31' resting upon a bed of san 32, While it is being dpolished, and in this body of sand are embe dad a number of metallic magnetic jacks 33.. When the magnet or magnets are placed above the sheet of glass and the current of electricity ap lied, the jacks are attracted and support t e glass as the magnets are moved away, carrying the jacks and glass with them.

IIr'Fig. 6 there is illustrated a similar sheet .of glass 34 a bed of sand 35 and embedded metallic bars or strips 36 which act in the same manner as the j acksshown in Fig. 5.

The diagram of connections for the magnets is illustrated in Fig. 7, the current passing from the generator or dynamo 37 through the mains 38 to a hand-switch 9 an from It will be seen that the latter to the conductors 40 through an adjustable resistance or rheostat 41. The

various magnets 42 are connected in parallel or multiple arc relation with the conductors 40 and in this particular figure I have shown each magnet provided With a separate armature 43, laced beneath a sheet of glass or crate of g ass 4:4.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the taining the latter by the pull exerted thereon by an electro-magnet, substantially as described.

2. The method of supporting a body of non-magnetic material, which consists in resting thesame upon-an armature placed beneath said body, said armature being sustained by the attraction exerted thereon by an electro-magnet, the lines of force passing through said non-magnetic body, substantially as described.

3. The method of supporting a body of nonmagnetic material, which consists in placing an armature on one side of said body,

and an electro-magnet on the opposite side,

the attraction of said magnet for said armature pressing the parts'together sutliciently to sustain said body in any position, substantially as described.

4. The. method of transporting a sheet of glass, which consists in resting said sheet upon an armature, sustaining the latter by the attraction of an electro-magnet therefor, and then moving said magnet and supported parts to the location desired, substantially .as described.

5. The method of transporting a sheetof glass, which consists in placing, an armature on one side of said sheet and a plurality of electro-magnets on the opposite side of said sheet, the attraction of said magnets for said armature pressing the arts together sutliciently to sustain said s eet in any position, and moving said magnets, armature, and

sheet of glass to the location desired, substantially as described.

ETHAN I. DODDS.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK O. GooDwIN, WALTER M. FULLER. 

